The Conference is Over But Fond Memories Remain

The cigarette butts and empty plastic glasses for drinks remain scattered through the basement printshop and echoes of many voices haunt me as my mind refuses to focus on anything other than the just-completed First National Conference on Typecasting and Design, staged here at Terra Alta, West Virginia, July 17, 18, and 19, 1978.

The event was such an emotional “high,” it is most difficult to “come down” to the reality of going back to work—or even cleaning up the basement shop. I boastfully assert that it will be a long time before the meeting will be equaled, for now that it has taken place, the need for such an occasion will not be so great.

Rather than taking credit for the affair, I simply state it was an obvious event looking for a place to happen. That place just happened to be Terra Alta.

As it is, most amateur typecasters have operated their entire hobby careers in a vacuum, generally unaware that others were “out there” having the same problems and need for information.

How, for example, do you describe the operation of a “stop action” on the Thompson typecaster, let alone assemble one, when you’ve never seen one in operation.

Although the parts were scattered through my shop, I didn’t know where to start. But Pat Taylor was able to put it together for me in a matter of minutes, much to my glee upon casting the border elements at the top of this newsletter with more operational ease than ever before experienced with my Thompson. (No squirts all evening!)

Matters of punchcutting, driving matrices, electrotyping matrices, engraving matrices, and details of typecasting and its mechanical paraphernalia worldwide all were things I had experienced only superficially while reading obscure books on the subjects. But to be able to witness them firsthand, to get my hands on a hand mold, to handle a punch, and to see how various matrices I have in my shop are made—it all was mind-boggling.

We owe a debt of gratitude to Paul Duensing, Pat Taylor and Stan Nelson for putting in hours of preparatory work and photography to bring to us excellent, visual presentations on all subjects. And wasn’t it so thrilling to have the speaker pause on a matter of question and ask someone in the audience for clarification. Time and again, conversations pointed to an unanswerable question only to have the question answered in full detail by another conference participant.

I dwell on the comment made by Herb Czarnowsky, who after 45 years of typecasting experience at Baltotype, went away from the conference saying he had learned an awful lot he’d never known before about type and typecasting. No one, I dare say, went away without greater exuberance for the craft, and a drive to do more.

One tends to become self-indulgent when he looks upon his private hobby, but a few minutes watching others at the conference would quickly wipe out such pride—such as watching Pat Taylor and Andy Soule go over the Bruce Pivotal Caster and get it into operation, casting excellent type, in a matter of a few hours.

Lauren Curtis came with hopes of finding an apprenticeship so he could learn how to use the composition caster just acquired by him and Jonathan Greene at the Gnomon Press. After the conference, he confidently asserted that he thought he could do it by himself now.

In effect, that was the reaction of all participants and, perhaps, it was somewhat overwhelming. Now I am considering my own matrix electrotyping operation. Others are considering adding equipment to become more self-sufficient. And in the process, many of us are getting deeper into a process we had not known nearly as well as we first thought.

Thus, surely the prime objective of the conference is already finding fulfillment: “Preserving the third dimension of type.” 3

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Conference Proceedings to Be Published via Letterpress

Of extreme importance is the fact that proceedings of the First National Conference on Typecasting and Design will be published thanks to a grant from the West Virginia Arts and Humanities Division. That volume will be letterpressed except where extensive photo-offset illustrative material is to be included. Your comments on its format etc., will be welcome. 3

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Typecasters Organization Established at Meeting

Perhaps because the sessions were “something too good to let pass,” the conference’s resident barrister, Harold Berliner, drafted by-laws for a loose organization to keep folks closer in touch in the future. The by-laws were accepted by acclamation, creating an organization to be called American Typecasting Fellowship. The by-laws as adopted July 18, 1978, read as follows:

ARTICLE I. The name of this association is the American Typecasting Fellowship.

ARTICLE II. There will be no officers of this association.

ARTICLE III. There will be two committees: a meeting committee and a communications committee.

ARTICLE IV. There will be no dues and the committees are urged to use their imagination in raising what little money they need for expenses.

ARTICLE V. There will be no other by-laws.

This historic document shall be preserved for posterity and surely will be acclaimed for its directness.

Roy Rice and I volunteered for the communications committee. 3

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Chicago Monotype Operation Being Sold

Interested parties in the Midwest should take note of the notice by L. Gould & Co., selling agents, announcing the liquidation of A & P Typographers, Inc., 222 South Morgan Street, Chicago 60610. The announcement lists ten composition casters, seven keyboards, all wedges, scales, keybars, miscellaneous Monotype parts and about 500 fonts in mat cases. Also a giant caster and fonts. The number listed for Gould is (312) 743-5156. I received my notice July 22, 1978. 3

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American Typefounders Listing of Old Typefaces

In an effort to make each issue of this newsletter something of more lasting value, I publish herewith via offset a reproduction of the matrix fonts ATF had on hand, along with their numbers, as listed in the 1951 Descriptive Price List. Faces still being marketed at that time were not in the list.

Steve Watts, one-time type director for ATF, told me he compiled the list himself from matrices he inventoried in the basement of the firm's plant at Elizabeth, New Jersey. Several folks at the conference did not know such a list existed.

Precisely where the numbers for these fonts originated is not easily discernible. Paul Duensing has a letter from Steve Watts indicating numbers beginning with "4" represented MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan originals. Those with "5" were faces re-cut to fit the point system. Fonts numbered 800 to 900 were from the Keystone foundry, and those from 1500 to 1768 were from Barnhart Brothers and Spindler. Perhaps study on someone's part can clear this matter further. Let us know. 3

Unclassified ATF Type Faces and Sizes

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You Are Asked for Information for Next Newsletter

For the next issue, I would hope to publish statements from various persons (hopefully everyone) regarding their ideas on how we should best go about circulating a list of matrices held by everyone. Secondly, I would like to have your comments regarding how you personally react to lending mats. Please get your thoughts together now and send them to me before the urge passes you by. 3

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